Hi! I'm looking for cdramas with a calculative, inteligent, overdriven and reserved male lead, who is deeply in love with the main character. Any recommendations? I love complex, deeply flawed characters, but unfortunately most of them don't end up with the main character.
The first thing that popped into mind was Goodbye My Princess (东宫) which might be the drama that fits that description the most. Of course, if you’re looking for a cute romance story then Goodbye My Princess might not be the drama you’re looking for, but if you want something heart-wrenching and tragic then this is your drama! (Li Chengyin has to be one of the most complex/deeply flawed male leads I’ve seen. So few dramas dare to feature such flawed protagonists).
I’d say Rise of the Phoenixes (天盛长歌) also fits pretty well. The male lead, Ning Yi is quite a complex character and very smart as well. I haven’t finished this drama because it’s really long and rather complicated as well, but the cinematography, acting, costumes and chemistry between characters are amazing.
Scarlet Heart (步步惊心) is another drama that works. Again, all of the characters are quite complex, and as our female lead’s two love interests are both princes battling for the spot of emperor, they are extremely calculating and intelligent. None of the characters are perfect.
I guess Bloody Romance (媚者无疆) might work, though, the guy who fits your definition is the second male lead and thus, doesn’t get the girl. But he does really love the female lead, and is quite complex a character (morally grey would be the best way to describe him).
I’ve never watched Siege in Fog (人生若如初见), but it was written by the person who wrote Goodbye My Princess. While the male lead is not nearly as cruel as Li Chengyin, he is a complex character.
The Romance of Tiger and Rose (传闻中的陈芊芊) is another one I’d recommend. The male lead is probably the only one of his characterization to get a happy ending, and significantly change in the face of love.
In some ways, Twenty Your Life On (二十不惑) might work. It is a female centered drama, and the male lead plays a more minimal role, but he is complex and flawed, yet deeply in love with the female lead.